Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 21

How do I feel?

I feel like you’re an idiot.

Your relatives aren’t treating you well, so what’s important or not? Just confront them head-on and deal with them!

Back in the day, my uncle tried to suppress me for similar reasons. First, I angrily humiliated him in public, then I brought in the old patriarch to suppress him, forcing him to leave the family.

Do you know that? I, Cheng Jinyang, can’t stand this kind of nonsense!

Similarly, if you come at me with a knife, I’ll show you what it means to have the spring flowers bloom!

So what if you have a natural talent to be guaranteed fourth grade and strive for the third grade?

I’m a sixth grade!

After finishing washing up in the bathroom, Cheng Jinyang went to the patriarch’s office, waiting for Zheng Qiupei to come over.

I don’t believe it. With a sixth-grade power and a gun, in the center of the clan’s territory, can Sister Xiao Pei still take me down instantly?

That would be truly unreasonable.

After working for a while, he heard a knock on the door.

“Jinyang, can I come in?”

“Please come in,” Cheng Jinyang said in a deep voice.

Zheng Qiupei came in holding something, and saw Cheng Jinyang sitting at his desk, his ten fingers pressed against his upper lip, hiding the lower half of his face, staring into the infinite distance.

There was an inexplicable aura of authority… Zheng Qiupei felt a sense of respect.

“Happy New Year,” Zheng Qiupei said with a smile as she placed the items on the table, “I made these pastries this morning. If you don’t mind, you can try some.”

“I do mind,” Cheng Jinyang thought, so you’re using poison?

Zheng Qiupei: …

“Why do you mind?” she asked with a puzzled look, taking a bite of a chestnut cake from the plate, “I made these pastries with reference to your Cheng family’s breakfast recipes, so the flavor should be fine. There’s a mix of sweet and savory…”

“Sister Xiao Pei,” Cheng Jinyang said seriously, “let’s not pretend to test each other. I can tell you, what you’re worried about, although no one wanted it to happen, it indeed has.”

Zheng Qiupei was silent for a moment, then suddenly her eyes turned red, and she started to cry.

Cheng Jinyang: ???

Wait, aren’t you supposed to threaten or intimidate me with violence? What’s with the tears?

“Sorry,” Zheng Qiupei said, wiping her tears with the back of her hand and smiling bitterly, “I didn’t know you had already spoken out about it. It’s okay, it doesn’t matter now. It’s my fault for not asking you in advance.”

As she turned to leave, Cheng Jinyang quickly got up and pulled her back, “Wait, did you misunderstand something? I haven’t told anyone about the dream yet.”

Zheng Qiupei turned around, her expression slightly dazed, “Really?”

“Really.”

“Then… thank you,” Zheng Qiupei said, wiping her tears and smiling, “Actually, since Uncle appointed Dehui as the heir, my relationship with my cousin’s family has greatly improved. So, I don’t want the past to be brought up again. Please keep it a secret for me, Jinyang.”

“Ahem, of course,” Cheng Jinyang sat back down, thinking that Sister Xiao Pei is really easy to talk to. Unlike those other girls who always showed up in the middle of the night, hired people to attack me, or threatened me with knives.

Relaxing, he picked up a piece of chestnut cake and ate it.

It tasted really good.

“Is it good?” Zheng Qiupei asked expectantly.

“Not bad,” Cheng Jinyang said while chewing, “Sister Xiao Pei, you have great cooking skills.”

“If you like it, I’ll make more next time,” Zheng Qiupei said excitedly.

Passing by the door, Miss Qingqing: ?

She walked into the patriarch’s office and saw Cheng Jinyang eating a plate of pastries, with Zheng Qiupei standing nearby, looking elated.

There was no doubt about it, that was the cook’s unique expression of joy, the evil expression when she saw her prey successfully taking the bait and about to be played around with by her!

Chu Qingqing quickly rushed to the desk for a closer look.

Hah, just these things? There are plenty of shops near the Confucius Temple that have better!

“Qingqing, do you want to try some?” Zheng Qiupei enthusiastically offered, “Freshly baked this morning, best eaten warm.”

Of course I know they should be eaten warm!

MissQingqing angrily picked one up, stuffed it into her mouth, and took a bite, chewing loudly:

“Too sweet!” she said.

Cheng Jinyang watched silently from the side, thinking to himself: Tsk tsk tsk, jealousy makes people ugly, Qingqing, do you know that?

“Is that so? Maybe some of them didn’t turn out well.” Zheng Qiupei picked up another one and smiled, “How about trying this one? The taste should be better.”

“Weren’t they all made in the same batch?”

Chu Qingqing retorted casually, quickly finishing the one in her hand, then taking the chestnut cake offered by Sister Xiao Pei and biting into it, “This one is fine in sweetness, but the baking is off.”

“And this one?” Zheng Qiupei picked up another.

Cheng Jinyang watched coldly, thinking if they aren’t good, why do you keep eating?

And one isn’t enough, you want a second…

After eating five or six, Qingqing suddenly realized something was wrong:

Wait, what’s so great about these chestnut cakes? There’s no meat flavor at all!

“Ahem.” She coughed awkwardly, wiped the crumbs from her mouth, and said seriously, “After eating these, I have a general understanding of your skills, Sister Xiao Pei. Your basics are solid, but you lack enough creativity. Just following the recipe isn’t enough; you need to put your emotions into it. Emotions are the soul of food!”

“Okay, I’ll improve next time.” Zheng Qiupei smiled sweetly, “Do you want to finish the rest?”

“It’s okay, Qingqing,” Cheng Jinyang chimed in, “We won’t touch them, they’re all yours.”

Chu Qingqing: …….

Damn it! I got tricked!

She made a flimsy excuse and hurriedly left, quickly finding Cui Jinqi in her bedroom. This little lady was still putting on makeup, comparing several shades of lipstick with a troubled expression.

“Jinqi, we have met a strong enemy!”
Chu Qingqing said seriously.

“She doesn’t sleep in the sane bed with us, and Jinyang will be busy in Jingkou after the New Year, not having time to fulfil the marriage engagement. How can she be a strong rival?” Cui Jinqi replied nonchalantly.

“I’m not talking about Xing Yuanzhi, it’s Zheng Qiupei!” Chu Qingqing said through gritted teeth.

“Sister Xiao Pei?” Cui Jinqi looked puzzled, “No way, how could she become a rival? You must be mistaken!”

“I saw her offering pastries to Jinyang with my own eyes!” Chu Qingqing said angrily.

Just because I looked away for a moment, even my chef character’s trait got lost!

“What’s the big deal about that!” Cui Jinqi waved dismissively, “Sister Xiao Pei is best at making snacks: cakes, pastries, soups… Every time we go to her house, she makes all kinds of food to entertain us. It has nothing to do with whether she likes Jinyang or not.”

“But I saw her smiling at Jinyang in a very suspicious way!” Chu Qingqing still didn’t believe it.

“Hasn’t she smiled at you before?” Cui Jinqi asked, frowning.

Miss Qingqing then started to waver because Sister Xiao Pei not only smiled at her but also fed her chestnut cakes. It seemed it wasn’t specifically made for Jinyang after all.

Putting herself in that position, if she had made something especially for Jinyang, she’d explode if anyone else even touched it.

“Compared to Zheng Qiupei, I think someone else is more suspicious,” Cui Jinqi said seriously.

“Who?”

“Li Qingwan!”